Poker Blind and Ante Posting
Bets are the most important part of any game, whether it is roulette, online blackjack or poker. However, betting with money you can't afford to lose can cause gambling addiction according to the dmoz sites. In all poker games the gamblers have to make some forced bets to make the starting pot and encourage the players to wager. Let’s study all types of compulsory bets used in some poker games separately and in specific combinations.
BRING-IN
This obligatory bet, used in some poker variants, mostly in the tournaments, is placed after the cards were dealt, unlike the poker blind bets and antes. It is usually assigned to one player to start betting round and its size is equal lower than the min betting amount. The player that must make the bring-in is indicated by the rank of his/her face up cards. It is determined by the poker rules. Bring-ins are always applied in the games with the antes.
POKER ANTE
The size of this forced bet is equal for all gamblers and placed at the very beginning of the game session before the cards are dealt. The main peculiarity of ante is that it has to be placed by all gamblers at the table without exception. In poker forms with antes no other compulsory bets can applied. Only in some tournaments ante bets and poker blind bets are used as a rule.
POKER BLIND
This forced bet as the ante is made before the dealer deals the cards, and it is usually posted by two or three poker players. Commonly there are two poker blind bets, that are known as the small blind and big blind. The small blind is made by the next poker player after the button. The big blind which in most cases is equal to the min betting amount is placed by the next poker player after the small blind (the second player after the dealer’s button). In some poker rooms the third poker blind bet is used that is placed by the dealer.
STRADDLES
There are also not compulsory bets applied only in the poker variations with the poker blind bets. They are called straddles. Straddles can’t be used in tournaments.
This bet is posted by the first player after the big blind position. The amount of straddle bet has to be higher than the size of the big blind bet, to be precise it is the raise of the big blind bet. When the straddle is placed the betting begins from the next gambler to the left and ends at the straddle position. The poker player which placed the straddle bet can raise the bet and in this case the betting goes on.